Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller was forced to miss two games after a hit from Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin sent him to the hospital. After missing two games, Miller was back on the ice on Thursday for the Bruins morning skate. Miller’s return should improve the Bruins NHL sports betting odds of making the playoffs.

According to Bruins coach Claude Julien, Miller won’t play against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, but Julien did not rule out the possibility of Miller returning to the ice this weekend.

In their game against the Washington Capitals on Saturday, Miller found himself pinched in the Washington zone when the puck jumped over his stick. He was able to turn his body around to play the puck but was hit hard by Ovechkin.

After the hit, Bruins forward Brad Marchand was upset with Ovechkin, and let his feelings be known. A scrum ensued while Miller was still on the ground and it was eventually broken up by the referees.

Miller was able to get up under his own power and made his way to the locker room clutching his right shoulder. Alex Ovechkin was fortunate not to be ejected from the game, but he had to spend five minutes in the penalty box for boarding.

The injury to Miller forced him to miss the Bruins road trip to Florida, where they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, taking four out of four possible points from the trip.

Miller’s injury was initially called a right shoulder injury but was later changed to an upper body injury. Miller, who is one of the eight defensemen on the Bruins roster was missed by his teammates because he has been one of the most consistent defenders the team has, as well as one of their most durable players.

If Miller is able to return to the Bruins lineup this weekend, his presence will provide a big boost for the Bruins, who are currently tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Atlantic division lead. While Boston is still in good position to win the division, having a healthy Miller in the lineup will definitely make a difference.

Another reason the Bruins can’t afford to have Miller sidelined for an extended period of time is the fact that the Florida Panthers are two points behind them in the Atlantic division, and the New York Islanders are one point behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.

With the playoffs just around the corner, there are still a lot of teams in the Eastern Conference that have a chance to make the playoffs. With the exception of the Washington Capitals, who sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with 103 points, the amount of points separating the second place team and the team holding the final wild card spot isn’t much, which means teams like Boston can’t afford to drop points.

After reviewing the video of the hit, the NHL decided not to suspend Alex Ovechkin. If Ovechkin had been suspended, it would have been his fourth suspension in the NHL.